This article contains mild spoilers.

Note: Updated on 6/19/24 to remove dead links and update information.

ND Stevenson understands characterization.

Last year, I discovered Nimona, an Eisner-nomated webcomic-turned-novel written by Stevenson about a whimsical, enigmatic shapeshifter who befriends an evil figure with an ultimately good heart. I found Nimona at a secondhand bookstore—the kind of store filled with spine-damaged books and dogeared pages—and I was surprised by the pristine condition of the copy I found. As I flipped through the beginning of the graphic novel, I saw a collection of glossy, well-preserved, wrinkle-free images. In fact, the only blemishes were some cartoon stars drawn in the margins of a page about three quarters through the story. “The previous owner must have liked this page,” I thought.

Later, I reached that star-filled page during my first read-through of the novel. The panels contained profoundly tense moments between Nimona (the shapeshifter) and Lord Ballister Blackheart (the semi-benevolent villain). Genuine heartache and refreshingly nuanced character interactions.

I couldn’t help but add a few stars of my own to the margins.

ND Stevenson understands characterization, and that storytelling skill is evident in his latest creation, Netflix’s 2018 She-Ra and the Princesses of Power. Continue reading →